It’s a representation to last Mexica last stand in Mexico-Tlatelolco, when King Cuautemoctzin sent five generals, one of them with Ahuitzontzin (Cuautemoc’s father ) war armour named Quetzaltecólotl (precious owl ). It was the last mexica victory in Mexico-Tenochtitlan war. It finished when Sandoval took prisoner Cuautemoctzin.
Armour elements are speculative, not exist a picture about a “owl warrior” but I reconstructed it with different iconographic elements and Bernarnido de Sahagun text.
Original description by Sahagun’s informants:
With the Mexica now pressed on all sides by the foe, they agreed to test through prognostication or omens whether their fate were sealed or they still had room to escape from the great danger confronting them. The lord of Mexico, called Cuauhtemoctzin, spoke and said to the leaders with him, one of whom was called Coyohuehuetzin, another Temilotzin, another Topantemoctzin, another Ahuelitoctzin, another Mixcoatlailotlactzin, another Tlacotzin, and another Petlauhtzin, “Let us make an experiment to see if we can escape this danger in which we fin ourselves. Let one of the most valiant among us come and don the arms and insignia that belonged to my father Ahuitzontzin” Then they called a youth, a man of courage, called Tlapaltecatl Opochtzin, who was from the district of Coatlan in Tlatelolco, where the parish of Santa Catalina is now. The lord Cuautemoctzin spoke to him, telling him, “You see here this warrior´s costume, called Quetzaltecolotl, which was the costume of my father Ahuitzotzin. Put it on: Fight in it, and you will kill some people. Let our enemies see this costume; ti could be that they will be frightened by seeing it” When they dressed him in it, he appeared a frightening spectacle. They ordered four captains to go ahead of him, two on each side of the one in the costume of ahuitzontzin, being very confident that with the power of the omen, when he appeared enemy would flee. They also gave him the bow and arrow of Huitzilopochtli, which they had also kept as relics, and they had faith that when that bow and arrow were brought out, they could not be defeated. That arrow had a head of flint.
A Mexican leader, The Cihuacoatl Tlacotzin said, “O Mexica, o Tlatelolca, is there nothing left of the way it was in Mexico, of the way of Mexica state was, which was said to be the envoy of Huitzilopochtli that he sends against people, as he used to send the Xiuhcoatl (Five serpent) and Mamalhuaztli (Fire drill) at our enemies? O Mexica, you are taking his envoy the dart; you are to aim it only at our enemies. You are not just to cast in on the ground but hurl it very close to them. And if one or two of them are hit, or if one or two or our enemies are captured, then it is truly our fate that for a little while longer we will find favour, while our lord so wishes.” Then the Quetzaltecolotl went, with the quetzal feathers waving.
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